HOLD:Deadly Attraction
by EternalSenshi
Summary: A story for anyone who has fallen into the danger of falling in love. Sweet turned sour Serena Gawthrop has one problem, and that problem has a problem with her. In a place where love and death know no bounds...please R&R.
1. Prologue

Deadly Seduction Prologue. By EternalSenshi. I don't own SM. I do own characters not related to the show. Please R&R. How it all starts...  
  
Serena Gawthrop fluffed the bouquet, and smiled. Mrs. Anderson would love this bouquet, especially after birthing twins. She turned her head, studying her work of art at all angles, and smiled wider.  
  
"Sere!" Ashleigh Geld called from the back room. "Is the centerpiece for the Robertson Company dinner ready yet?"  
  
"Everything's ready, Ash." Serena said, untying her apron. "I'm the best florist you have. You think I wouldn't have everything done?"  
  
"Sorry I doubted you, Sere." The redheaded owner of Baltimore's Petals came out from the back, and petted Serena on the head lovingly. "You're so cute."   
  
Serena giggled. "You're like my big sis, Ash."  
  
"And I'm going to protect you like one." Ashleigh said. "You're not going home to that piece of trash, are you?"  
  
"Who, James?" Serena said. She turned away. "Um, yeah. Why'd you ask?"  
  
"Serena, why do you keep going back to him? He's good for nothing - he's an asshole pimp!"  
  
"We're working out our problems - it'll be fine." Serena said. "I know we'll be fine."  
  
Ashleigh sighed. "All right, but be careful."  
  
Serena finished untying her apron, and placed it on the hook. "Anyway, he's waiting for me at home."  
  
"What about your self-defense class?" Ashleigh asked.  
  
"Canceled." Serena grabbed her purse from behind the counter, and slung it over her shoulder. "See you, Ash."  
  
"Take care, Sere." Ashleigh said, waving. Serena closed the door behind her, and walked down the street, trying to ignore what Ashleigh had said. *So he's been cheating on me since we started dating, but this time it's different. I know it is.* She smiled to herself. *It's gonna be.*  
  
She stopped at her front door, took out her key, and unlocked to door, expecting to see James sitting on the couch, reading the paper, welcoming her home. When she opened the door, however, there was nobody there.  
  
"Oh," Serena said, a little downhearted. "James?" she called out and put her purse on her chair. She then began searching for a note, or anything to give her a clue as to where he was. "James?" she called again, but no answer came to her.  
  
As she searched the kitchen, she heard a slight squeaking sound come from a room further down the hall. "James?" she asked again, walking slowly to the strange noises, which were coming from her bedroom. As she slowly creeped closer, she realized that the squeaking was coming from mattress springs, and other sounds she hadn't heard from far away were being issued from the room. Moaning met her ears, as well as the banging of the bed's headboard against the wall. *No!* Serena thought. *He, he promised me!* She opened the door, and found her worst fears confirmed.  
  
James and his blonde haired, younger lover looked up into Serena's shocked face. James smiled. "Hey, baby, I thought you-"  
  
"Damn you!" Serena whispered. "Damn you!"  
  
"Look, Serena, it was just one thing-"  
  
"DAMN YOU!" Serena screamed. She threw open the underwear drawer next to her, looking for the gun Ashleigh had put in there for her protection. It was more for threatening purposes, as Serena had never fired a gun before. She quickly found what she was looking for -- a .45 Colt pistol -- and held it in front of her.  
  
The lover screamed and hid behind James, who was laughing. "Hey, Serena, baby, I know that gun is fake. You've never shot a gun in your life. What makes you think that I'll believe that trick?"  
  
"Go to Hell, James, and your whore can go with you!" Serena cried, cocking the gun. "This is a real Colt pistol, and I'll shoot you!" Serena felt as if another person were taking over her body. This scared her, yet gave her a pleasant rush of adrenaline.  
  
James scoffed. "Yeah, Serena, right."  
  
"I'm not kidding, you bastard," she growled.  
  
James' eyes widened. Serena never cussed. He believed her now. "S-Serena, c-can't we talk this out?"  
  
Serena aimed quickly, then fired the gun. The bullet hit him dead on in the forehead, and he collapsed on his lover's body, blood pouring out of the back of his head, as if it were a sieve.  
  
The lover screamed louder, trying to reach for the phone. Serena turned the gun to meet her, and shot her in the forehead, as if she were an expert marksman. The girl flew back against the headboard, then slid to the side of the bed, where she hung pathetically to one side.  
  
Serena looked at the gun in her hands, shaking. She'd just killed two people. She'd just committed cold-blooded murder. She didn't even understand how she could shoot like that. She'd never shot a gun before. With these thoughts encompassing her mind, Serena fell on the floor in a dead faint.  
  
***  
  
Steven Charles, head of a special forces group in the government, was not happy at being called from an important meeting in Washington D.C. to a pathetic little police station in Maryland, even if his old partner worked there. They'd both been demoted for 'bad publicity' after they'd lost most of their agents in a trick, but Charles got lucky and stayed in Washington. "All right, someone tell me what is going on, and I don't want to hear anything that sounds like there's a tea party going on!"  
  
"Mr. Charles, sir, you're to see Mr. Blake." The secretary directed him to the room at the end of the hall. Charles stormed down the hallway angrily, and slammed Mr. Blake's door behind him. "This had better be good, Blake," he snapped at his former partner.  
  
Robin Blake turned from the window to see the fuming Charles. "Good to see you too, Charlie."  
  
"I was at an important meeting with the defense council - why the hell did you drag me down here?"  
  
Blake turned to his desk. "Would you care for a drink?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of brandy.  
  
"Blake! What the fuck is going on here? If you don't answer me, I will see to it that you're fi-"  
  
"Calm down, Charlie!" Blake said, and downed his glass in one gulp. "You want to know why I called you here? I'll tell you. This could be our way to get back to the top, Charlie!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You said that your SFG has been running dry on some assassins." Blake said. "Well, they brought in a girl yesterday-"  
  
"A criminal?" Charles gasped.  
  
"Trust me, this is good. Clean record, not even a littering ticket. Doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't cuss, cute little girl. Model citizen - until she shot her boyfriend and his lover yesterday."  
  
"So, what's this got to do with anything?"  
  
"I'm telling you, Charlie! MODEL CITIZEN- never shot a gun before in her life, and look at how she shoots them!" Blake slid some photos over to Charles. Charles picked them up and studied them, a look of dreamlike wonder on his face.  
  
"See? Perfect shots - right in the forehead! I'm telling you, I don't want to piss this girl off. Maybe the cuteness is just a cover." Blake rambled.  
  
"What kind of gun did she use?"  
  
".45 Colt pistol."  
  
Charles looked confused. "This a messy gun with amateurs." He shook his head. "She had to have shot before."  
  
"We interviewed her boss, and friend. She said that the girl had never even touched a gun before - not even a colorguard rifle."  
  
"Then how'd she do it so cleanly?"  
  
"She's a natural, Charlie, a natural killer! We've got ourselves a secret weapon!" Blake's eyes began to gleam. "Back into more than your little SFG and my little police station!"  
  
Charles stared at the pictures of the girl and the man, noticing that the only marks on their bodies were the bullet holes in the head. "What about the families?"  
  
"None known. Girl was a orphaned hooker. Man, well, no one cared about him." Blake said.  
  
"Do you have her in custody?"  
  
"Sure do! Let's go." Blake said, escorting Charles out the door.  
  
Serena sat in her cold jail cell, her face stained with tear streaks. She was going to be killed. There was no way she could deny the killings - her fingerprints were all over the gun, she had the motive, she was still at the scene. She hadn't been crying over their deaths - she'd kill them again if she could. She'd been crying because she didn't understand why she'd felt such a rush of excitement when she'd shot them. It was as if an entirely different person had taken over her body at that moment.  
  
She heard the door open at the far end of the room, but didn't turn her head. She heard the clanking of keys and heavy footsteps approach her, and saw two men and a guard stand in front of her cell.  
  
"Serena Gawthrop?" Charles asked.  
  
Serena looked at them, and nodded slowly.  
  
"We have a little proposition for you," Blake said. "You oblige us, you're out of here and working for us by dinner."  
  
"W-what do I have to do?"  
  
"You'll be working for us. You'll be trained, and become the government's number one assassin." Blake said.  
  
"Assassin?" Serena squeaked. "N-no! I-I can't!"  
  
Charles chuckled. "Don't be silly. You're a natural. The shots you made with the Colt? Fabulous."  
  
Serena ran up to the bars, and held them tightly. "What about prosecuting me?"  
  
Blake and Charles laughed. "My dear, you don't want to die, do you?"  
  
"B-but, I'm a florist!" Serena was becoming frightened. They wanted her to kill people for a living? She couldn't do that!  
  
Blake motioned to the guard, who unlocked her cell. "Miss Gawthrop, follow us, please."  
  
Serena found herself being taken to a shooting range, where posters of men holding guns were held from the ceiling as targets.  
  
"Well, Serena, here's what you do. You see this gun?" Blake said, pointing to the gun on the shelf in front of them. Serena nodded, shaking nervously.  
  
"This is a Baretta 9 mm, a standard police gun for this area. We want you to take this gun, and shoot at that target." Blake continued.  
  
Serena was silent, then turned to the men. "How far away is it?"  
  
"Just three yards - nine feet. You'll be fine." Charles said.  
  
Serena, shaking like a cold puppy, took the headphones off the hook in the stall. She was shaking so much; she dropped them on the shelf next to the gun.  
  
"It's okay, my dear. You don't need to be nervous." Charles said.  
Serena nodded, and put the headphones cautiously over her ears, blocking out all sound except for the rush of blood in her ears, and her pulsating heartbeat. Her life was riding on this shot. She picked up the Baretta, and studied it in her hands before putting it in the right position. She carefully held it, putting her finger daintily on the trigger. As she aimed, she felt the same rush she'd felt come back, driving her to fire -  
  
Blake and Charles watched her fire, then pull the gun back beside her ear. "Whoa..." she said in quiet amazement.  
  
"Fabulous shot! Like a sniper!" Blake said.  
  
Serena turned, a smile on her face. "That wasn't so bad," she said happily.  
  
"Now, we're going to back it up, okay?" Charles said.  
  
"Charlie, no." Blake warned.  
  
"Let me see her talent." Charles said. "Sixty!"  
  
The guard in the booth backed the target away from the group. Serena grew more and more anxious as the target reached twenty feet away...forty feet away...finally stopping at sixty feet away.  
  
"Standard for a shooting test, Miss Gawthrop." Charles said.  
  
"Charlie!" Blake protested, then lowered his voice so only Charles could hear him. "Charlie, the poor girl's frightened, can't you see that? Let her rest - don't push her!"  
  
"Blake, you know as well as I do that she can do it, let her know she can do it!" Charles claimed. "After all, we-"  
  
Their argument was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. They looked to see Serena, drawing the gun back to her ear. She turned to the two bewildered men, a playful smile on her lips. "Got any more?" she asked.  
  
The men ran into the booth to see the camera zoom in on the poster. There was no other mark - except the bullet hole in the center of his forehead.  
  
"She must have missed," Blake mused.  
  
"No, sir." The guard shook his head. "She hit the same spot - dead on."  
  
Blake and Charles looked at each other, and looked at Serena, who took off her headphones, and walked into the booth with them.  
  
"You know, that's a whole lot better than a lot of things. It's better than flowers. It's even better than sex." She smiled placidly at them, waiting for another round.  
  
***  
  
"So let me get this straight - you believe that I have a gift at shooting?" Serena asked, putting down the menu.  
  
"We believe that with proper training, you can be the best assassin in the world." Charles said.  
  
"I don't know..." Serena said, uncertain.  
  
"Trust us - by the time we've finished training you, no one is going to be able to touch you." Blake said.  
  
"Remember, if you say no, to death penalty you'll go." Charles said.  
  
"Is it legal in Maryland?" Serena asked.  
  
"Who said we'll let the government take care of it?" Blake said, teasing her.  
  
"Blake..." Charles said warningly.  
  
"But, we don't want a talent like you to die." Blake finished quickly.  
  
Serena thought for a second. She couldn't go home - they all knew she was a murderer - and death wasn't something she wanted now. "How much do I get paid?"  
  
"Ten thousand a month." Blake said promptly.  
  
"Dollars?" Serena gasped.  
  
"Yes." Charles confirmed.  
  
"U.S. Dollars?!"  
  
"Yes, what else?" Blake said.  
  
Serena looked at them, dumbfounded. "A month?" she said, her mouth dry.  
  
Charles leaded forward. "I'm sorry, Miss Gawthrop, but which part was not clear?"  
  
Serena looked down at her lap. "I'm kind of weak."  
  
"We'll combat that-!"  
  
"I'm shy."  
  
"We'll handle-"  
  
"I'm not good in bed."  
  
Blake laughed. "Serena, we'll handle all of that. We have trained specialists that can help you with everything. Serena, the three of us together...No villain is going to survive after they mess with us!"  
  
Serena looked at them, and nodded. "All right."  
  
Charles and Blake smiled. "Here's what we do..." Blake started.  
  
***  
  
Serena stood on a building rooftop, gazing at the town she once called her home. She put her booted leg on the ledge, staring into the sunrise. She'd just finished six months of rigorous training, and now, she was no longer the sweet little florist. She was a strong, tough, sexy woman, and anyone that messed with her would get a bullet up the ass. But no matter how strong Serena thought herself to be, tears fell down her cheeks as she saw Ashleigh opening up Baltimore's Petals.  
  
"See you, Ash," she whispered. "Take care."  
  
"Serena! The chopper's here!" Blake called.  
  
Serena turned, her long blonde hair and long black coat thrown behind her in the man-made wind from the propellers. Blake opened the door, letting Serena step inside. Before she went inside, she stood on the foothold, gazing once more at the town, then ducked inside.  
  
"Your first assignment," Charles said, handing her a thick manila folder.  
  
"We'll be in D.C. in about two hours," the pilot called to the back.  
  
Serena turned away from the window, making sure to keep her back to it the whole time. *Never look back...*  
  
***  
  
I hope you all like this teaser/prologue. Don't worry, it doesn't mean I'm finished with my other stories, I just wanted to write this one at the same time.  
Until the first chapter,  
*~*EternalSenshi*~* 


	2. Chapter One

Deadly Seduction Chapter One. By EternalSenshi. I don't own SM. Please R&R. He almost lost something important...  
  
Note: Not all people are comfortable with killing for a living, and I respect that. I just wanted to show what it would be like if someone did choose that.  
  
Serena Gawthrop put on her sunglasses, and brushed back her short black hair. She readjusted the gun in front of her, and looked out the scope.  
  
"Come on, come on," she whispered. "You son of a bitch, where are you?"  
  
She moved quickly, finding her target, the dark, greasy haired drug and mass weapon dealer Phillipo Argleas, walking out of the Hotel Casana. He straightened his collar, and looked around. His rugged bodyguards stood, keeping careful watch.  
  
"Yeah, you ass," Serena murmured. "Sleep with me so I can kill you, that's how things work you fiend."  
  
Serena wrapped her pointer finger around the trigger. "Sayounara," she whispered, and pulled the trigger. Phillipo got hit straight in the forehead, and landed sprawled on the ground. One of the bodyguards pointed up to where Serena lay set up with her equipment. Quickly, she shot again. The bodyguard's limbs flailed, and he landed in a florist's display. Petals floated all over his corpse.  
  
"Score!" Serena said. Screams resounded in the villa, with loud footsteps or running women and children growing louder with the realization that two men had just been sniper shot. Satisfied, Serena quickly shoved the gun into her bag, hoisted the bag onto her shoulder, and ran down the fire escape.  
  
"Come on, Andy, you jackass, where are you?" she muttered, looking for the van. "If you don't come-"  
  
A white van drove up at the bottom of the stairs in the middle of the crowded alley. "Sere! Hurry!" a male voice called out.  
  
Serena jumped off of the ladder, and grabbed the sliding door. "Don't call me, Sere, jerk."  
  
"Woo-hoo! Man, you look like a babe! How did he-" Andy Foreman was cut off when Serena opened a switchblade and held it at his neck. The cold metal was pressed against his flesh firmly, so that any sudden movements would draw crimson drops down the steel.  
  
"Do not call me 'babe'." Serena growled, taking off her black haired wig, and throwing it to the floor. "I am no pig. Do you understand me?"  
  
Andy didn't move. Serena pressed the knife deeper into his flesh, drawing his blood. It streamed down the blade, staining the polished steel.  
  
"I said, do you understand me?" she repeated, her teeth clenched in anger.  
  
Andy nodded carefully. Serena pulled the switchblade away, folded it, and put it back in her bra. "Now, step on it."  
  
The van sped through the alley, and skidded into the villa. Phillipo's other bodyguards ran after the van, but Andy pressed the accelerator, and they sped into another alley.  
  
"Sere, grab your gun. They're following us." Andy said, looking in the rearview mirror.  
  
"Already on it, and don't call me Sere!" Serena cried. "Or they'll have trouble finding the bullet lodged in your brain." She snapped the barrel into place, rolled down her window, and waited, her gun ready to fire. She cocked the barrel, and kept an eye on the black limo behind her.  
  
"Is it firing?" he asked.  
  
A shot whizzed by Serena's ear, and another bullet shattered the glass in the back window, lodging into the glove compartment.  
  
"Now it is." Serena said, and opened fire. The driver of the limo got a bullet in the chest, but wasn't affected.  
  
"Fuck me!" Serena cursed herself for not realizing that terrorists would usually be wearing bulletproof vests. The driver of the limo took this happily, and sped up behind them.  
  
"Can't this junk bucket go faster?" Serena cried.  
  
"I'm going as fast as the government will allow me!" Andy called back.  
  
"Screw the government!" Serena screamed. "You think this guy is following the damn law?!"  
  
The limo was just about the crash into their back bumper. Serena was pretty sure he was smiling.  
  
"Damn!" Serena cried. "Oh, well, always use your head." She aimed quickly, and shot the driver straight in the forehead. He swerved, speeding faster and faster, pushing the van with it's front.  
  
"FLOOR IT!!" she screamed. Not wanting to make her madder than she already was, Andy stepped on it. The limo skidded sideways, and got stuck in the alley.  
  
"I wasted a perfectly good bullet." Serena muttered.  
  
"Oh relax. You have twenty million others." Andy said. "My glove compartment!"  
  
"Your glove compartment?" Serena cried, sitting back inside. "I just saved your ass, you're going at almost a hundred and fifty mph, and you're worried about your glove compartment?!"  
  
"I just got it fixed after last time!" Andy said.  
  
Serena, fed up with Andy's whining, grabbed the glove compartment door, using her boots as leverage, yanked the door off, and threw it out the window. She rolled the window up, satisfied by watching the glove compartment bounce away down the alley.  
  
"Hey!" Andy cried, turning to Serena. He swerved.  
  
"Watch the road!" Serena screamed.  
  
Andy collided with a wall, and Serena bounced out of her seat, and her seat flew backwards, causing Serena to flail her limbs, and her leg broke through the window, leaving several large and bloody cuts.  
  
"Damn it Andy!" Serena cried, trying to pull her leg back in. "Learn how to fucking drive!"  
  
Andy yanked Serena's body close to his, so that all of her limbs were back inside. His head was close to hers. "You smell nice," he murmured.  
  
Out came the switchblade, pressed to his crotch instead of his neck.  
  
"Right," Andy said, immediately letting go.  
  
"Let's get on the plane and go home." Serena said.  
  
"What am I going to say to the government?"  
  
"Tell them what you always do- it's your fault."  
  
"Right." Andy turned to the front, and started the car again. "So, you're not going to cut me?"  
  
"Nah. Too many bags for your body parts. Plus, there'd be the part about getting through customs." Serena said.  
  
Andy gulped, but continued driving.  
  
  
  
"Welcome back, Miss Gawthrop," a stewardess said, winking.  
  
"Hello, Mina." Serena said, faking a smile. She never really smiled at people anymore.  
  
"You nail him?" Mina Harte asked. Mina was the one who reported Serena's kills to the agency, and served as a junior assassin on airplanes, so if someone wanted to hijack, she'd be there. The major killings were left only to Serena. When Serena had finished a said killing, she would get on the plane earlier than anyone else, and report.  
  
"Unless anyone can survive my shot to the head, yes." Serena said. She began limping to her regular seat.  
  
Mina gasped. "Your leg!"  
  
"It's nothing." Serena said. "Don't worry about it." She sat down and pushed the seat back to a comfortable position. "Don't seat any bratty kids next to me. I'd hate to kill them."  
  
"As usual, Miss Gawthrop." Mina said, saluting. She walked down the hall, leaving Serena by herself. A few minutes later, Andy plopped down next to her.  
  
"Well, we've got a few minutes before the passengers arrive," he commented.  
  
Serena groaned. "Go away Andy. I don't want to scare any little children by shooting you."  
  
Andy sighed. "I'm sorry about freaking out about the glove compartment. And for not driving."  
  
"Andy, your driving is horrendous. I've been admitted into the driving accidents wing so many times, they're going to name it after me. I'm losing so much blood, we ought to call your van the bloodmobile."  
  
Andy smiled. "You're trying to be funny."  
  
"No, I'm serious. They're really naming it after me." Serena snapped. "Go away, Andy."  
  
Andy stared at her. "This is my sixth time driving you, Miss Daisy, and you've been really stubborn and cruel the whole damn time."  
  
"Well, you're no Morgan Freeman." Serena said. "Look, I have things in my life that I don't want told. And you don't need to be a nosy bastard."  
  
Andy sighed, and opened his mouth, but Serena held up and hand. "Don't speak anymore. Just sit back, keep your damn mouth shut, and only speak when we're back in D.C." She turned away, staring at the closed window. She seemed so wistful to Andy, so he opened his mouth.  
  
"After six trips, I wonder, why do you keep the window closed?"  
  
Serena groaned loudly. "What did I just say?"  
  
"All right, all right, no need to be a huffy bitch." Andy turned to see passengers coming on board. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.  
  
Serena turned uncomfortably, feeling blood from her wound squish around in her leather boot. Oh, fuck, she thought angrily. She looked around, but noticed that with all the people around, it was too late to get up and wash it off. She twisted uncomfortably, hating the feeling of her own bodily fluid squished in her toes.  
  
Mina came back, smiling. "The bosses want to see you when you come back."  
  
"Thanks." Serena said, a grimace contorting on her face.  
  
Mina giggled. "Do you want to go wash up?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." Serena said. "Just drug Andy so he doesn't wake up."  
  
"Sure." Mina said. "Do you want headphones for the featured movie?"  
  
"What movie?"  
  
"True Lies."  
  
"Pass."  
  
"All right. Enjoy your flight." Mina walked away, performing her stewardess duties.  
  
"See? You should be like her." Andy said.  
  
"You are so lucky there are people around." Serena grabbed his pillow, and put it under her head.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Shut up." She closed her eyes, wanting to fall asleep, when she felt a hand tug at her short leather dress.  
  
"Damn it, Andy, I-" She looked to see a little boy staring at her, his brown eyes wide and inquisitive.  
  
"Yes?" Serena asked.  
  
"My daddy said that you're an assa- assai-"  
  
"Assassin." Andy said. He winked. "She is."  
  
Serena rolled her eyes. Her blonde, trademark hairstyle always gave her away in airplanes.  
  
The boy's mouth opened in a silent gasp. "W-wow!"  
  
"Yeah, I am." Serena said in a bored, droning tone. "I kill the bad people so the good people can live and pay taxes, yadda yadda yadda..."  
  
"Wow!" The boy was livid with excitement.  
  
"She's saved the world." Andy said.  
  
Serena had to hand it to him - Andy was good with kids.  
  
"Lady, lady!"  
  
Serena looked down at the boy again. "Yeah?"  
  
"My mommy said you look like a cheap whore."  
  
"Jonathan!" a woman's voice rang out, and she grabbed her son by the hand. "I'm so sorry about this."  
  
"It's all right." Andy said.  
  
Serena stood up. "A word, ma'am." She stood up next to the woman's ear, and whispered, "I may look like a cheap whore as you so kindly put it, but at least I don't gossip lie you. I kill people who gossip like you every day. Don't make me go over my quota."  
  
The woman turned red. "Hurry up, Jonathan," the mother snapped, and pulled her son away.  
  
He waved. "Bye nice lady!"  
  
Andy chuckled. "Kids love you."  
  
"Shut up. They're na•ve little brats." Serena snapped. She put her head on the pillow again, and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.  
  
  
  
"Hurry up, Sere!" Andy called.  
  
"You want to carry my bags? And remember, asshole, you do NOT call me Sere!" Serena snapped, trying to carry two huge duffel bags and walk across Dulles Airport.  
  
"We're going to be late!"  
  
"All right!" Serena hoisted the bags on her shoulder, and began running across the airport. She stopped when she saw that Andy had taken the keys from the Budget Rent-A-Car center.  
  
"No! NO! I am NOT riding in the same car with you driving, Andrew Foreman!" Serena cried.  
  
"You have no choice." Andy said. "Relax, we're not being tailed, so I'll drive carefully."  
  
"Like I trust you." Serena said. "Andy I wouldn't ride in the same car with you no matter what!"  
  
  
  
"I can't believe I'm riding in the same car with you." Serena said, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"Relax. We haven't crashed yet."  
  
"YET."  
  
Andy pulled into the parking lot, and parked at the far end. "We're home."  
  
Serena moved her foot, feeling the blood run through her toes. She winced. "Damn it," she cursed under her breath.  
  
"You can wash up after seeing the bosses." Andy said. "I'll take your guns in."  
  
"Andy, I swear, if you drive like that again on our next mission, where I end up with no leg, remember that my switchblade knows your blood type and is thirsty for more." Serena said, slamming the van door. She propped up her leather boot on the car's foothold, and zipped her boot down. "The last thing I needed was blood in my leather boots."  
  
Another guy walked past her, running his hand through his ebony locks. He spied Serena's hands running down her somewhat bloodied leg, eyeing her short leather dress, and her butt sticking out in the open air. The leather was embracing her butt tightly, and he felt a thought coming over him that he couldn't let pass up, even if it was a little perverse.  
  
There are times in a man's life where the call of nature takes over instead of maturity, reason, and even sanity. This happened to be one of those times.  
  
The guy walked up to her, slapping her butt as he passed, and said, "Hey, Toots."  
  
Serena's eyes widened. Before the guy could do or say anything, Serena had her .50 caliber pistol held at him. "Who the fuck gave you the right to touch my ass?" she demanded. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"  
  
He shivered. "L-look! I-I-I was just having fun-!"  
  
"Do you think that I find it fun?" she whispered murderously. "Demeaning girls is fun for you?"  
  
"N-no!"  
  
"Too late buster," she said. She wrapped her fingers around the trigger. "By shooting off your 'manhood', maybe you'll learn."  
  
He laughed. "You wouldn't."  
  
"Oh, wouldn't I?"  
  
He closed his eyes, frozen to the spot, shaking.  
  
"BANG!"  
  
The guy opened one eye cautiously, relieved to see that the gun hadn't been fired, and that his crotch was still intact. Serena was standing in front of him, one hand on her hip, the other arm bent, holding the gun up by her ear. She laughed a little. "That'll teach you," she said, and briskly walked past him. As she walked towards the building, two other men walked by her, noticing the same things that the first guy did. Just as they were about to try their game of slapping it, Serena fired her gun into the air. Startled, the two men jumped and stood frozen.  
  
Serena chuckled. "Hello again, boys."  
  
"Morning, Serena," the two said dejectedly.  
  
The almost-eunuch came up to the two. "You know that crazy bitch?"  
  
"Know her?" one of them said, surprised. "She's only the best assassin in the world! It's a good thing she's on our side!"  
  
"I heard she broke the world record for the most people killed!" the other guy said.  
  
Again, the first guy ran his hand through his hair. "So that's Serena Gawthrop." All three watched her walk inside the building, the glass doors closing behind her.  
  
  
  
"All right, I need to get stats for the next target, I need bandages, and someone get every drop of blood out of these boots, please! Blake! Charlie!"  
  
"In the office, Miss Gawthrop." The secretary looked down again as Serena burst into their office. The two looked up, a little bewildered by Serena's appearance - her hair mussed and her leg and hands all bloody.  
  
"Serena, what happened to your leg?" Blake asked, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Fire that Andrew!" Serena cried. "He crashed again, and I nearly flew out the window!"  
  
Charles sighed. "Serena, we can't fire Andy. He's the fastest driver we've seen, and we need him to get you out of dangerous situations as fast as possible."  
  
"Did you check his crash record?" she demanded.  
  
The two bosses looked at each other, and shrugged.  
  
Serena threw up her hands in frustration. "I'm working completely solo next time."  
  
"No, Serena, you can't." Blake said. "So, we want you to meet someone."  
  
The door opened, and in stepped the guy from the parking lot. Serena's eyes widened. "You can't be serious!"  
  
"Serena, meet Darien Shields. Darien, this is the lovely Sere-"  
  
"We've met." Darien interrupted.  
"Well, if it isn't ass boy. Tell me, do you like your parts intact?" she said with a smirk. She turned to Blake and Charles. "No, no, no! I will not have anyone with me!"  
  
"Serena-" Blake started.  
  
"There's no way I'm going to go through any of that!"  
  
"Serena-"  
  
"I work alone, all right? Alone!"  
  
"Serena! Darien is your partner! End of discussion!" Charles roared.  
  
Serena stopped, her mouth agape.  
  
"I hope to work well with you, Miss Gawthrop," Darien said.  
  
"Hell no!" Serena screamed. "I don't need a partner!"  
  
"We can't afford you getting caught, Serena. You need someone to cover you." Charles insisted firmly.  
  
Serena stared at them, her mouth gaping like a fish. "You've gone mental. I don't need a partner. I'm a one woman terminator!"  
  
"I don't want any more arguments." Charles said angrily.  
  
"Serena, it's not that we don't trust your ability, it's just that we'd feel much safer if someone was with you."  
  
Serena groaned and stormed out of their office. Blake had to hide his smile while Charles shook his head. "She's really much better once you get to know her." Blake said.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure." Darien said, not sure what he was getting into.  
  
"Anyway, Shields, this is the key to your hotel room. Get ready, because we're sending you on the flight to Barbados this afternoon." Charles said, handing him a key.  
  
"Yes, sir." Darien said, and left the office.  
  
Blake smiled. "They make such a cute couple."  
  
"Oh, cut the crap, Blake. She's going to murder him and you know it." Charles said.  
  
"What's the big deal? Serena's going to learn from him, and he's going to learn from her. She needs to get more in touch with her florist side. She won't even go near him if they're in different hotel rooms." Blake sighed and bent over his graphs. "Plain and simple."  
  
"I guess," Charles said, resigned. They worked on their charts for a few minutes, then Blake looked up. "By the way, what room is Serena in?"  
  
"214."  
  
"Oh," said Blake. He studied the graph for a few seconds, then looked up yet again. "What room did you give Shields?"  
  
Charles' eyes met Blake's. "You didn't give him Serena's spare, did you?" Blake asked.  
  
They looked at each other for a few seconds, then dropped everything, running out of the office. "Shit! She is going to kill him!" Blake yelled.  
  
  
  
Darien unlocked his door, stepped inside, and dropped his bags. He had finally gotten to D.C., only to be paired with a homicidal maniac. If he didn't watch himself, he would definitely end up dead, or even worse, a eunuch. He unbuttoned his shirt and took off his undershirt, gazing all around the room. It was a lot better than the flea motels he stayed at on his trainee missions. This time, it was for real. He was working with Serena Gawthrop. He was working with the most beautiful female assassin in the world. With her long, buff yellow hair, and her Caribbean blue eyes, and those perfect pouty pink lips...  
  
He decided it was best to take a shower before the plane ride, and walked into the bathroom, not surprised to hear the shower going. "Hello?" he asked, knowing what to expect. In every motel and hotel room he stayed in, his friends had always sneaked in, turning on the shower and pretending it was someone else's room, so Darien would have no place to sleep, then would jump out in raincoats and surprise him. Childish, but that was the academy.  
  
"A-HA!" Darien cried, pulling the curtain aside. His eyes grew large as he realized that his friends weren't standing there. Instead, taking a shower was a very wet, naked, soapy and gorgeous homicidal maniac - who turned around to see Darien staring at her body, and in the process, getting hard.  
  
Serena screamed loud enough to break windows. Darien yelled too, and left the bathroom, feeling very uncomfortable with his hard-on. He ran and collapsed on the bed, slamming the pillow over his ears, He'd been dreaming, he hadn't Serena naked, even though she had the body of a goddess - a taut stomach and perfectly round breasts resting comfortably on her chest - and he groaned with his thoughts.  
  
He looked up again, noticing there were no shower sounds from the bathroom. He breathed a sigh of relief when he thought he really had been dreaming - until someone emerged from the bathroom.  
  
Serena, clad in a fluffy yellow towel, walked over to the bed, her long hair leaving droplets of water on the teal carpeting. "Darien," she whispered huskily as she came over to the bed, and climbed upon it. As he watched nervously, she straddled his body, crawling closer to his face.  
  
"You're not off to a good start, are you?" she whispered.  
  
Darien nodded, and his eyes were drawn to her hand going down her towel, and her breasts sticking out -  
  
His eyes became the size of dinner plates as he saw he pull out a knife, and cut down, only missing his crotch by one millimeter.  
  
"If you ever do that to me again, I swear, I'll kill you," she said angrily. "Got it?"  
  
Darien nodded weakly. Serena got off of him, and walked back to the bathroom. "Get those mental pictures out of your head, you perverted bastard. I see that hard-on you've got," she commented as she walked back into the bathroom and locked the door.  
  
Blake and Charles arrived a couple of seconds later, to see Darien still sitting, frozen to the bed, the knife still sitting in front of him.  
  
"Well, at least she didn't kill him," Blake commented.  
  
  
  
This may seem OOC for Serena, but just read on, her character will be explained in later chapters.  
DS is going on hiatus as I prepare for finals, and get ready for my trip to Orlando. Since you WYSSYB guys made me feel guilty, here's what I've planned. After my trip, if I have nothing, then that's the end of the story. If I have something, I'll keep going. Sound good? Great.  
R&R if you like this chapter, please! I have lots more coming, but if no one likes it, then no more posts. I'll just write it for the hell of it. ;)  
See you at chapter two.  
EternalSenshi 


	3. Chapter Two

Deadly Attraction Chapter Two. By EternalSenshi. I don't own SM. Please R&R.

"Charlie! Blake!" Serena cried, running out of the bathroom. "I want him out!"

Charlie helped the shaken Darien move to the door. "You talk to her," he said to his partner.

"Oh, why do you always leave me with her?" Blake complained.

Serena crossed her arms over her towel-clad body. "I'm waiting!"

"You owe me Charlie," Blake muttered. "Serena, just sit down and let me explain something to you, okay?"

Serena sat down angrily on the bed, her arms still crossed, and a glare settling on her face.

"That's better," Blake said, pulling up a chair. "Look, Serena, whether you like it or not, Darien is your partner. And you know as well as I that you need a partner."

"I do not need a partner," Serena said firmly.

"I know you don't think you need one. But Charlie is insistent on it because of all the leaks that have been spreading in other departments."

Serena kept her firm glare on him, but knew he had a point. "Fair enough," she muttered.

"Good. Try to freshen up for your flight. You know who your target is, and you know what to do." He stood up, cleared is throat importantly, and stared at her. "Don't blow it by getting mad at Shields."

"Then he better not get in the way."

"He won't." He smiled. "Are you sure you're not being too provocative?"

"OUT!" Serena screamed, shoving him out and slamming the door behind him.

Blake straightened his tie and nodded. "That actually went well," he muttered, and went to find Charlie and Darien.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"You feeling better?" Charlie asked as Darien sipped his water.

"A little," Darien admitted. "Damn it! Why didn't you tell me what the hell I was getting into?"

"You were the top of your class at the academy. We thought you could handle it," Charles said. "You're just like your father-"

"My father never had to work with a killing bitch," he snarled.

Charles set his jaw. "I would give her a little break if I were you. True, she's mean. But there's a reason she became that way. Besides, your father had to work with more Serena's than you've ever met in your life. What do you think your mother was before she married your father?"

"A librarian," Darien said, having another sip of water.

"Still, give Serena a chance. She's good at her job. If you just let her sit in control, pretty soon she'll begin to trust you." Charles checked his watch, and gasped. "You're about to lose your chance - you have to board in five minutes!"

Darien put down his glass, grabbed his suitcase and walked out the door.** Give her a chance?** he thought. **Not going to happen. Not between us.**

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Serena boarded the plane quickly, and closed the window next to her. She stared at the wall until she felt someone plop into the seat next to her. "You're late," she said.

"Relax. At least I'm slowing down my driving," Andy said.

"Get out of here!" Serena said. "Trained assassins only!"

"Oh, thanks," Andy said, acting hurt. His expression changed into a look of teasing. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain new recruit-"

"Andy, I'm warning you," Serena said through gritted teeth. "My blade is in my boot."

He looked at the seat behind him. "That seat looks comfortable," he said, and quickly moved.

"Better," Serena said.

Darien ran down the aisle and fell into the seat next to Serena. "Sorry," he said. "Lost track of things."

"Don't do it again," she snapped.

Andy extended a hand between the seat. "Andrew Foreman. Call me Andy. I'm your personal driver."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Darien said, shaking his hand. "Darien Shields."

"So, you'll be working with Serena?" Andy asked.

"Of course he is," Serena barked. "Why else do you think he's here?"

Andy sat back. "Sorry for making chit chat."

"It's okay," Darien said. "Someone's just got something stuck up her ass."

"Someone needs to keep their hands off other people's asses!" Serena yelled.

Mina walked out of the back and stopped in front of the three. "Would anyone like anything to drink?" she asked, smiling.

"No," Serena said angrily, turning back to the wall.

"Nothing, Mina. Thanks, though," Andy said, smiling.

Darien looked at Mina, and smiled. "Champagne, please."

Mina smiled back. "You must be Darien Shields, the new assassin."

"New assistant," Serena said firmly.

"You got me," Darien said to Mina teasingly. "You know me, but how come I don't know you?"

"Because my position is on a need-to-know basis." Mina said.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I need to know," Darien said flirtatiously.

"Oh, gag me with a spoon!" Serena said loudly. "Mina, don't you have better things to do?"

"Yes," Mina said, giggling. "Nice meeting you, Darien."

"Likewise," he said, winking.

Mina walked away, a bright smile on her face. She turned, and waved slightly.

Darien watched her go, until someone's hand hit him on the back of his head. "Hey!" he said, turning to Serena angrily.

"Get your head out of the clouds and focus!" Serena snapped.

Andy sat back and hid his smile from them as people began coming aboard the plane. Darien pulled the magazine out of the chair in front of him, and started flipping through the pages. "I never thought I'd be working for a female homicidal maniac..." he muttered.

Serena turned to him. "Tell me, Darien, are you usually a male chauvinist?"

"That wasn't chauvinistic," he protested.

"No, of course not. My mistake," she said. "You're just an egotistical male bastard

that's exactly the same as an amoebae - you both have a one celled mind."

"Oh, gee. Thanks."

"So, I suppose you'd be a wonderful person if I got to know you."

"That's what people say all the time," he said.

"Really?"

Darien was perplexed. For the first time today, she seemed as interested in him as he was about her. "Uh, yeah, I guess. There was this one time-"

"I don't plan on getting to know you."

'Psssh' went his thoughts on getting to know each other. "All right then."

"There are two rules," she said. She held up a finger. "First, stay completely silent when we're on the plane, when we're working, and when you're near me." She motioned a zipper sign across her lips, and turned to the window.

"And the second rule?" he dared to ask.

"What was the first rule again?"

Mina came walking back, holding a tall champagne flute. "Sorry about the wait, Mr. Shields. By the way, Miss Gawthrop, there's a message from Mr. Blake and Mr. Charles."

"Yeah? What is it?" Serena asked.

Mina looked confused. "I'm not sure why, but Mr. Blake mentioned not wearing towels outside of the mission, and Mr. Charles said to be careful not to kill Mr. Shields, no matter how much you want to."

Darien and Andy began laughing as Serena began pouting. "He's lucky for now, because I never kill with an audience."

Mina giggled. "All right, Miss Gawthrop. Anything you need for the flight?"

"Nothing, thanks," Andy muttered as he rummaged around, looking for the pillow.

"A copy of the file to study, and a gin tonic." Serena demanded.

"Right away, Miss Gawthrop. And you, Mr. Shields?"

"A chance to talk to you later," Darien said.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Would you at least pretend you're a professional?"

"Oh, Miss Gawthrop, he's just being sweet," Mina cooed, and pecked him on the cheek.

"Enough!" Serena cried. "The sooner we get there, the better the end of this Harlequin Romance."

"Yes, Miss Gawthrop. I'll go grab the file." Mina winked at Darien and walked down the aisle.

"Hey, Darien, I think she likes you," Andy said.

"She better not," Serena snapped.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

It was a hot and humid day in Barbados when they arrived, and the heat seemed to aggravate Serena's already angry condition. She seemed infuriated at every little thing the boys did.

"Hurry up!" she snapped at then as they were lagging behind with the luggage.

Darien looked at Andy. "Is she always like this?"

"Always before a mission," Andy said, grimacing under the weight of a particularly heavy bag. "Hand me that gun bag, would you?"

"Oh, sure." Darien hoisted the heavy bag up and put the handle in Andy's hand.

"Thanks," Andy said. He made sure he had everything, then looked at Darien. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I think so." Darien turned and looked around. "Let's go."

A cop placed a hand on Andy's shoulder. "All right, boy, you come with me," he said in a thick accent.

"I-I don't understand," Andy stuttered.

"Let's go," the cop repeated, pushing Andy forward. He noticed Darien looking worried, and pushed him next to Andy. "You come too."

"Hey! What's the-!" Darien yelled.

Serena turned to see the two of them, not behind her, but being pulled away by police officers. **Please let them just being led to the bathroom. Please don't let them cause trouble. Please- **Serena stopped her pleading as they got pulled into a room she knew very well. She groaned and began sprinting after them. **Damn them!** she thought angrily.

"Come on, let's go," the police officer said roughly. He turned to see a frenzied Serena running towards him, leaping over suitcases and turning past people to catch up to him. As soon as she reached him, he lifted up in his hand in her face. "Sorry, madam, no entrance."

Serena whipped out her badge from her boot. "They're my responsibility," she protested.

"I'm sorry, but I-"

"I demand that I be brought in there with them. We have a job to do, and if you stand in my way, I swear you will be fired." She glared at him, knowing she couldn't say any more than what was brought out.

He sighed, and stared at her badge. "Fine. Come on in," he said waving her inside.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"GUN BAG?!" she screamed, slamming her hands on the desk in anger.

"It was an accident, Serena," Andy muttered.

"The whole time I've done this job, I've never worked with anyone stupid enough to say the phrase 'gun bag' in an airport!" she yelled.

"But Serena, I'm the only one you've worked with," Andy protested.

"Shut the fuck up!" Serena snapped uncontrollably. Andy, once again, fell silent. "If it weren't for me, you'd be in a lot more trouble than this!"

"Miss Gawthrop? Are you done yet?" the cop asked.

"No I'm not!" she roared. "I don't know why you two aren't smart enough to figure out that you NEVER say the phrase 'gun bag' in a crowded airport with security at every door! If this has destroyed this mission, I swear to God, I'm going to fucking kill both of you!" She slammed her hands down on the table for intimidation, then stormed out of the room.

Andy looked at Darien. "It's just nerves," he reassured him. "Nothing much."

"Gee, thanks," Darien said sarcastically.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Serena brushed out her soft hair and sighed as she sat on her bed in her hotel suite. She looked at the packet placed on her pillow, and bit her lip. **Looking at that file isn't going to help. It never does,** she thought. With hesitant fingers, she took the packet and held it close to her. **I can't go back. I can never go back. I have to be rough and mean, and a...a bitch, and...think about what could have been your fate!** she scolded herself. Just as she was about to open the file, there was a knock at the door. "Coming!" she said, shoving the file under the pillow. She opened the door and glared at the person standing, waiting for her. "What?" she snapped.

Darien held up his hands defensively. "I'm not here to fight,"

"No, but you're here to spy on me in the shower."

"No!" Darien sighed. "Look, I wanted to say that I was sorry for what happened in the airport."

"Fine." Serena slammed the door in his face, and turned away. She put her head in her hands, and slid to the floor.

"Damn her," Darien muttered outside the door. She turned away, then turned back as he heard something surprising. She was...crying?

**He looks like James,** she thought, sobbing uncontrollably. She crawled over to the bed, and grabbed her file, opening it up. Pictures of what had happened - what she'd done to James and that whore of his - spilled out onto the floor. She sobbed uncontrollably, not sure what to do. He looked like James, but she couldn't hate him for it - could she? She fell to the floor, hating Charlie and Blake for giving her the photos, hating Andy for his driving, and hating Darien.

She didn't want to hate anymore.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"I'm telling you, she's one grade A psycho," Darien said.

"She's not. She's perfectly sane. She just has a...an attitude problem. That's all," Andy said, sipping his beer. "She's just very serious about her job. She's a perfectionist."

"She's psycho!"

"You don't know her yet," Andy said. "She can be a nice person."

"Don't stick up for me, Andy," Serena said, sauntering into the bar. "You don't know how."

"Speak of the bitch," Darien drawled out, turning around. She long blonde hair was tied in an elegant knot at the base of her neck, and she was wearing a long red dress with a long, low cut neck. Immediately, he wanted to take back his words, but then regretted that thought. He had to be tough around her, even if she was an Aphrodite on the Earth.

Serena sat next to him, and her dress lifting to reveal sparkly red shoes. "Careful what you speak of, Shields," she threatened softly. "You may end up dead because of it."

"Whatever," he said.

"Andy, I'm taking my drink. Take him to the room," she said, nodding.

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for entrusting me with that,"

"You wanted more responsibility," she said. "Bartender? Pina Colada, no alcohol," she said.

The bartender nodded, and came back rather quickly. She placed the drink in front of her, and she smiled. "Thank you," she said, and left her money. "Don't forget to come, Andy, or you'll be seeing more red than you'd like to see," she said, taking her drink and leaving.

Both boys stared at her as she left the bar, sipping her drink seductively. Darien turned to Andy, a smirk on his face. "Non-alcoholic?"

"Another nerve thing, I think," he said. "Anyway, better get going."

"Right," Darien said. He put his drink down, and followed Andy into the lobby. "What's the room?"

"Trust me, it's better to see it up close. Oh, by the way," Andy mentioned, turning to the rookie. "Please don't piss her off."

"I don't piss her off!"

"You do. She's never hated anyone so vehemently before."

Darien looked at the ground. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I'd watch your back," he said. "And that's a warning."

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

What's the room? Oooh! Anyway, sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've been busy, and I'm trying to write "A Lust For Blood" too. I'll get them done! (I hate senior year...although I do love my Japanese class...yay!)

Anyway, I'll see you soon. Yakusoku! (promise!)

EternalSenshi.


End file.
